The forest erupted in chaos. The demon horde surged forward, their howls echoing through the trees. Kayla's talismans exploded in brilliant flashes, creating temporary gaps in the demon lines. William and John charged into the fray, their weapons clashing against demonic flesh and bone. Jessica, stationed at the rear, swung her wind qi coated sword with deadly precision, each strike finding its mark.
Serana moved with cold efficiency, her blade cutting down any demon that came too close. Her mind was sharp, her focus unwavering. "Stay together!" she commanded, her voice carrying above the din of battle. "Don't let them separate us!"
Streaks of shadows in the forest kept leaping toward them. What Serana found was that these demons were actually much stronger compared to the ones she had fought before! The oppressive demonic aura seemed to sap her strength, she quickly stood firm, her qi boiling as her ready to strike using her sword art.
The first wave of demons charged at her, their eyes glowing with cruel hunger. Serana's eyes narrowed as she assessed their movements, her mind calculating the angles and timing of her strikes.
With a swift motion, she waved her sword, its blade shimmering with an icy black light. "Frostbite!" she intoned, her voice steady and cold. Her sword cut through the air, leaving a trail of frost as it cleaved through the first demon. The creature let out a gurgled scream as it was bisected, its body freezing and shattering into icy shards.
Another demon lunged at her from the side, its claws extended to tear through her flesh. Serana pivoted smoothly and with a flick of her sword, the attack was deflected, her blade flashing in a deadly arc. "Glacial Sweep!" she cried, unleashing a horizontal slash that sent a wave of freezing energy sweeping across the woods. The demons caught in the attack were slowed and debilitated, their movements hampered by the encroaching ice.
Serana was about to kill them off, but her speed was lacking as she grew frustrated on the lack of movement skills, thus she was unable to finish those demons as more demons poured in, undeterred by the fate of their comrades. Serana's qi pulsed within her, the energy flowing through her veins like a raging river. She could feel the strain on her body, but she pushed forward. "Glacial Sweep!" she shouted again, thrusting her sword in a wide arc. The energy wave extended out, cutting through the ranks of demons, causing them to slow and stagger under the freezing onslaught.
Then, Serana heard a faint cry from her side, her eyes quickly glanced at the origin of the voice, May and Kayla were trapped in the corner, already wounded. May kept spamming her healing abilities as her qi is quickly draining her reserves!
"Damn it!" Serana, again frustrated on the lack of her skills, quickly tried to fought her way towards them by sending another cryo wave at the enemy completely slowing them down.
The demons, however, were relentless. They smashed through the ice, their sheer numbers overwhelming the temporary barrier. Serana gritted her teeth, her eyes flickering with determination.
She arrived next right to them with a swooping motion as she dipped from the air, swinging her sword, she blasted the demons with raw cold qi, turning them into an ice blocks. However, such unrefined attack caused a lot of qi reserves and Serana was able to feel her weakening qi in her body!
"Move towards Jessica now!" Serana commanded, Kayla quickly locking May's limping figure onto her shoulder ran towards Jessica.
"DAMN HUMAAAANS!!!"
A particularly large demon, twice the size of the others, charged at Serana with a roar. Its massive fists pounded the ground, sending shockwaves through the earth. Serana steadied herself, her grip on her sword tightening. "Absolute Zero Thrust!" she cried, channeling a significant portion of her qi into her heaven deceiver sword. She lunged forward, her blade aimed at the demon's heart. The thrust struck true, and a concentrated burst of ice qi penetrated the demon's thick hide, freezing it solid from the inside out. The beast roared in pain before collapsing, shattering into a thousand icy fragments.
Defeating the demon, Serana stood and leaned onto her sword as she looked at the demons surrounding her.
More demons closed in, undeterred by the destruction around them. Serana's breaths came in ragged gasps, her qi nearly depleted. She could feel the fatigue setting in, her muscles aching and her vision blurring. But she couldn't stop now.
"Frostbite!" she screamed, her sword cutting through the air with another chilling slash. The closest demons were immobilized, their bodies encased in ice as they fell.
Despite her efforts, the demons kept coming. Serana knew she couldn't hold out much longer. Her qi was almost gone, and her body was on the verge of collapse. But she had to keep fighting.
With a final, desperate effort, she raised her sword high. "CYRO WAVE!" she shouted again, pouring the last of her qi into her blade. She lunged forward, her sword striking the nearest demon.
The technique she had just used just now was an advance class technique, a class above core techniques!
The extreme cold energy radiating from her sword burst from the point of impact, freezing the demon solid, not only that, the entire area around her exploded, turning those demons near her into a black ice blocks! Those demons farther away were slowed down. However, such attack was too much.
Serana staggered, her vision darkening. Her qi was completely drained, and she could barely stand.
Quickly reaching into her pouch on her waist, she retrieves a pill. The pill that her master gave her, a healing pill.
Although Serana wasn't injured, the pill would still refill her qi at 20% of her capacity. Without holding back, she took the pill onto her mouth!
The surviving demons saw their opportunity and charged at her, their eyes gleaming with rage! Many of their fellow kins died because of this woman!
Just as they were about to reach her, a burst of light exploded around her. Jessica and Kayla, seeing Serana's dire state, had rushed to her aid. Jessica's sword danced through the air, as wind blades cutting down the demons with swift, precise strikes. Kayla's daggers flashed in the moonlight, her movements a blur as she fought off the remaining demons.
Despite their efforts, the sheer number of demons began to overwhelm them. The demons fought with a frenzy born of desperation, their attacks relentless and vicious. The air grew thick with the stench of blood and the cries of the wounded.
Jessica's sword danced through the air, but the relentless onslaught of demons was taking its toll. Kayla, her energy nearly depleted, resorted to close combat, her daggers flashing in the moonlight. May worked frantically, healing wounds as quickly as they were inflicted, but the tide of battle was turning against them.
"We need to retreat!" Jessica shouted, her voice strained. "We can't hold them off much longer!"
Serana's eyes scanned the chaotic battle, assessing their dwindling options. "Fall back!" she ordered. "Regroup at the secondary position!"
The team began to retreat, their movements coordinated despite the chaos. Kayla and Jessica moved swiftly, their agility allowing them to dodge and weave through the oncoming attacks. May stayed close to Serana for her protection, her healing spells are keeping the group from succumbing to their injuries.
As they retreated, the demons pressed harder, sensing their prey's desperation. One by one, the other squads from different sects were picked off, their cries echoing through the forest. The demonic aura grew thicker, its oppressive weight bearing down on the humans.
Serana's team reached the secondary position, a small clearing where they could regroup and catch their breath. But the respite was brief; the demons were relentless in their pursuit.
"We can't stay here," Serana said, her voice urgent. "We need to keep moving."
The team nodded, their expressions grim but determined. Despite their healing injuries and the overwhelming odds, they refused to give in. They pushed onward, moving through the forest with a grim resolve.
But the demons were relentless. They hounded the team, picking off members one by one. William fell first, a powerful demon's claws tearing through his defenses, clawing his back as his ribs and intestines were ripped apart by a single claw attack. John was next, overwhelmed by a swarm of lesser demons despite his best efforts. May's healing spells were unable to save him as he bled out, and she cried out in anguish as he fell.
"Keep moving!" Serana shouted, her voice a mixture of command and desperation. "We can't stop now!" She knows the team is already exhausted, but they must push them selves to the limit to escape from this hell!
Jessica and Kayla fought valiantly, their skills keeping the demons at bay, but the relentless assault was taking its toll. Kayla's movements grew slower, her energy nearly spent. Jessica's wounds bled freely, her strength waning.
In a desperate bid to buy time, Jessica turned to Serana, her eyes softened, memories of the two flooded her mind, she kept her bleeding wounds away from Serana afraid of making the team slow down their escape, her eyes then filled with determination, "Go! Take May and Kayla and get out of here! I'll hold them off!"
Serana's eyes widened in shock and defiance. "No! We stay together!"
"Serana, please!" Jessica pleaded, her eyes filled with determination. "This is the only way! You're the strongest of us! You can lead them to safety!"
Serana hesitated, torn between her duty and her loyalty. Her heart felt bleeding, but she knew Jessica was right. With a heavy heart, she nodded. "May, Kayla, follow me!"
"Jessica, please stay alive!" Serana looked at her one more time before quickly leading the other two away.
…
Seeing Serana's shadows and the other two teammates gone, Jessica sighed in relief. Turning her head back as she faced the dark forest, looming with demonic aura as the sound of demons approached quickly.
Jessica gave a final, brave smile. "Until my final breath, I'll fight with everything I've got. Bring it on!!!"
As Serana, May, and Kayla retreated, Jessica stood her ground, her sword gleaming in the moonlight. She fought with everything she had, buying precious moments for her teammates to escape. The demons closed in, their ferocity undiminished, the wind qi diminished, and soon, fresh blood scattered.
…
Serana led May and Kayla through the forest, her mind focused on survival. They moved swiftly, avoiding the main paths and sticking to the shadows. The sounds of battle faded behind them, but the memory of their fallen comrades burned in their hearts.
For Serana, her heart felt bleeding, as flashes of images of Jessica appeared in her mind, she kept praying for her, asking for her safety. Her usual cold face turned rosy, her eyes bubbling as tears fell.
Eventually, they found a temporary safe haven, a small cave hidden from the main trails. Serana collapsed against the wall, tears rolling on her face as her body finally giving in to exhaustion and overwhelming sadness in her heart. May tended to their wounds, her hands shaking with fatigue and grief, she's kept pushing her qi to the limit for heals, thus her dantian were almost dried up and started cracking like a flower pot, if she uses more of her qi, it'll make her crippled.
Kayla's eyes were filled with unshed tears. "We... we lost them."
Serana's quiet figure sat, a single tear escaping down her cheek, as hatred within her eyes burned with freezing revenge, "We'll make sure their sacrifice wasn't in vain. We'll find a way to stop these demons. We owe them that much."
...
...…
...
…
As dawn approached, the forest had gone completely quiet, and the three were able to rest without disturbance.
The survivors of the 38th Assault Squad gathered their strength. The mission had failed, and their losses were heavy, confirming that the demons have already retreated back around the portal. Serana along with the two, decided to go back to look for Jessica, to check her status.
It didn't took long enough for Serana and the two to return where Jessica stayed behind, Serana's heart bled once again seeing the scene right in front of her.
Blood was scattered everywhere, from the demons and a human, this is the blood of her friend. The others looked in horror, as they were able to see a severed arms still clutching to its sword, they were able to recognize that sword.
"Serana, there…" May pointed her hand at the side, Serana looked over and her eyes went wide. She leaped quickly and ran towards it. There, a huge boulder with cracks in the middle a horrifying person sat below the boulder, leaning into the rock.
Seeing the person up close, Serana's eyes were red as she approached and kneeled in front of her.
Jessica, with her right arm missing, a huge scar on her face, and a chunk of her stomach where one of her kidneys was located, was missing.
Blood pooled beneath her. She had been long dead…
"Jessica…" Serana's tears dripped from her cold face as she reached out her hand and caressed Jessica's cold face.
Her hand trembled as her control over her qi began to unwind, her frustration, anger, and sadness mixed within, Black frost kept spreading into her dead body, "I'll avenge you… I will make these demons pay with their lives… as long as I live, I will eradicate all the demons in this world and beyond." and soon Jessica had turned into a block of black crystal ice, encasing her. Her face looked peaceful as if she were sleeping, and her missing arm was rejoined to her body.
Serana's chaotic qi was freezing the ground where she stood. Suddenly, a refreshing feeling came over her, and her unstable emotions changed instantly. Though she was grieving, her expression turned frosty almost immediately. Serana had a minor breakthrough, now reaching rank 5 at the peak stages.
…